GOLD DISCOVERY AT WAIPORI.

Otago Witness, Issue 1500, 14 August 1880, Page 14

GOLD DISCOVERY AT WAIPORI.

Some little stir in mining circles was created at Waipori during Friday and Saturday of last week (says the Tuapeka Times). We are informed that a party of miners who have been prospecting for some time a short distance above the township, iv expectation of striking a deep run of gold, were successful in the object of their search. The prospects obtained were very encouraging, and , the news having travelled very rapidly, caused a good deal of commotion, and in a very short time the ground in the vioinity was pegged off by,,,a number of experienced men having an eye to business. The gronnd in question is situated immediately below the claim wrought by the Messrs O'Brien for a number of years, add which has had the reputation of having paid handsome dividends. The chief drawback is that there is. a good deal of water to contend with, which has heretofore militated considerably against successful prospecting opera* tions, but doubtless when the gronnd is opened out ' and appliances brought into operation, this drawback will be overcome in a great measure. •

We are indebted for the following further particulars of the Waipori mining excitement of the last few days to a Waipori resident. ir It seems that a party of miners (Messrs Barclay, Anderson, Clark, and Gundery) had been work, ing a claim with very indifferent success for the past six months situated between O'Brien's and the river, a 'short dhtance above the Waipori township. Before abandoning their claim it occurred to them that it might be worth while trying for the main bottom, so they sank a shaft 18 feet, when they struck a wash. They continued sinking an additional two feet, but the water and drift came in upon them so fast that they were obliged to desist till proper pumping appliances were erected. The wash that was taken out contained two grains to the dish, which, it will be acknowledged, is a very fair prospect. So satisfied were the party that they had a good thing that they commenced to take levels to bring in a water-race from Lammerlaw Cieek. The news of the discovery soon spread, and the supposed line of the run of gold was pegged out for a distance of three miles, chiefly by Chinamen. Mr M'Ledowney was engaged all day on Saturday making pegs for them. It has been confidently believed for a long time that the deep ground on Waipori Flat would pay handsomely if the water could be kept back. That of course means expense, and the best way to accomplish the object would be by the formation of a large company. Since the above was in type we have received the following particulars from our Waipori correspondent, which may be accepted as the "true and correct card " of this important discovery : —Considerable excitement has prevailed at Waipori thi3 last day or two in consequence of the very important discovery which has recently been made by Messrs Barclay and party of a deep lead on the Waipori Flat, underlying the false granite bottom. It is upon the granite bottom that nearly all the claims on the Flat (and some of them have been very rich) have been worked, and it is thought probable that the lead will run all through the Flat. On Saturday a aumber of. claims, of aa aggregate

area of 30 acres, were marked out on the supposed line of the lead. Barclay and party have tor some time been working a claim on the Flat near O'Brien Brothers' claim, which is on the Johnson's Hill lead, and it is evident that the lead discovered is a continuation of the same. The claim is about 12ft deep to the false bottom upon which is a fair amount of wash which will ,pay tucker.' Last week a shaft was sunk through the false bottom, which is in this place 2ft thick, and a few inches of wash yielding about half a grain to the dish was struck. Below this is a false bottom for about 6ft deep, and then a lay^r of wash about '20in thick, yielding on the average a little over one graiu of gold to the dish. Below this again is two feet of clay resting on drift and gravel, and there is every probability of their being rich gold- bearing wash below this and nearer to the true bottom. From the appearance of the strata met with in the shaft it is evident that it is sunk on one side of the lead, and the best gold may be expected to be found nearer the centre. Unfortunately the race they have been 1 using ' broke away, and the . claim became flooded before they had time to make auy further test, but the party have, every confidence in the prospect before them. They are now employed in cutting a race to carry four sluice heads of • water from the Lammerlaw Creek, .which will take three months to complete, when they will be in a position to properly' develop' their claim, and we will than,, be,,better able to form an estimate of the value of this,.promising:dißcovery.